Regional Director, Norther Nigeria

Regional Director, Northern Nigeria – Financial Institution

Industry: Financial Services

Location: Lagos, Nigeria

Reports to: Managing Director

Client Overview
Our client is a fast‑growing, innovation‑driven financial Institution headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. With a strong commitment to financial inclusion, customer‑centric product development, and technology‑enabled service delivery, the organization is entering an ambitious phase of national expansion and future growth into sub‑Saharan Africa. The company seeks a seasoned commercial leader—preferably from the FMCG sector—to bring structured growth thinking, distribution excellence, and market‑driven strategy into the FinTech space.

Position Overview

The Regional Director for Northern Nigeria is responsible for driving commercial growth, market penetration, and operational excellence across the Northern region. This role requires a leader with deep cultural understanding, strong stakeholder networks, and proven experience navigating the socio‑economic landscape of Northern Nigeria. The ideal candidate is an individual with extensive territorial knowledge, influence, and experience working across the region.

The Regional Director will lead branch expansion, strengthen customer acquisition, build strategic partnerships, and ensure the institution's products and services are effectively positioned to meet the needs of individuals, SMEs, and communities across the North.

Key Responsibilities
1. Regional Strategy & Market Expansion: Develop and execute a comprehensive regional growth strategy aligned with the institution's national objectives.
Identify high‑potential states, cities, and communities for expansion and deepen penetration in existing markets. Lead the rollout of new branches, agent networks, and digital financial services across the region. Conduct market intelligence to understand customer needs, competitive dynamics, and emerging opportunities.

2. Revenue Growth & Commercial Leadership: Drive regional revenue targets through customer acquisition, product uptake, and channel optimization. Strengthen the institution's presence among key customer segments including traders, SMEs, cooperatives, civil servants, and rural communities. Introduce region‑specific commercial initiatives that reflect local market realities and cultural nuances.
Monitor performance metrics and implement corrective actions to ensure consistent growth.

3. Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with traditional leaders, community influencers, business associations, government agencies, and trade groups. Represent the institution at regional events, forums, and stakeholder engagements. Leverage regional networks to support brand visibility, trust‑building, and customer loyalty.

4. Operational Oversight & Risk Management: Oversee branch operations, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, internal controls, and risk management frameworks. Ensure high‑quality customer service delivery across all touchpoints.
Collaborate with compliance, risk, and audit teams to maintain operational integrity.

5. Team Leadership & People Development
Lead, mentor, and motivate regional managers, branch managers, and field teams.
Build a high‑performance culture rooted in accountability, collaboration, and customer‑centricity. Identify talent gaps and support recruitment, training, and capacity‑building initiatives.

6. Product & Community Engagement: Provide insights to product teams to tailor financial solutions that resonate with Northern markets. Support financial literacy programs, community outreach, and grassroots engagement initiatives. Promote digital financial services adoption across rural and semi‑urban communities.

Education & Experience Requirement

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Management, or a related field.
• Master's degree or MBA is an advantage.
• 12 years of experience in financial services, microfinance, banking, or related sectors.
• Proven experience managing large territories, preferably across Northern Nigeria.
• Strong understanding of Northern Nigeria's socio‑economic, cultural, and business environment.

• Strong commercial acumen and ability to drive revenue growth.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship‑building skills.
• Deep knowledge of regional market dynamics, customer behavior, and distribution models.
• Strong leadership, communication, and team‑building capabilities.
• Ability to navigate multicultural envirenvironments with sensitivity and respect.
• Proficiency in Hausa is a strong advantage.

• High integrity, cultural intelligence, and emotional maturity.
• Strong influence and credibility within Northern communities.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for financial inclusion.
• Resilient, adaptable, and able to thrive in fast‑paced environments.

• Northern Nigeria (Flexible within the region)
• Frequent travel across Northern states is required.